Vaca police chase, arrest cell phone theft suspect

VACAVILLE — A suspect in three cellphone theft cases was arrested by Vacaville police Friday.

The third incident took place just before 1 p.m. Friday, when police say a suspect described as a black male adult, about 6 feet tall, walked into a cellular service provider store on the 1600 block of East Monte Vista Avenue.

In front of employees and customers, the suspect went to the cellphones on display and began ripping them from the security cables, according to a news release from the Vacaville Police Department.

The suspect allegedly collected nine cellphones, valued at more than $5,300, and walked out of the store. The security devices were damaged when the cellphones were torn loose and the damage was estimated at about $1,000, according to the release.

Officers noticed a pattern as the incident was consistent with the Jan. 15 and Feb. 12 incidents at a cellphone store on Nut Tree Parkway, in which police say the suspect walked out with a total of about $10,000 in phones and other devices.

In the second incident, police say surveillance video captured the suspect’s image and an alert customer gave a description of a vehicle – a blue Dodge Charger with low-profile tires.

The officer got behind the Charger and noticed the driver matched the description of the cellphone thief, at which point he activated his emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the driver of the Charger. Instead of stopping, the driver continued driving at speeds between 65 and 80 mph, police said.

The California Highway Patrol was notified and responded to assist.

The driver then exited at Suisun Valley Road with marked patrol units from Vacaville and the CHP still in pursuit.